Machine-gun.



A. A. K. HEINEMANN. MACHINE GUN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27.1914.

1,150,364. Patented Aug. 17,1915.

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mi TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST ALBERT KARL HEINEMANN, 0F BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO D'EUTSC HE- WAFFEN- UND MUNITIONSFABRIKEN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

MAGHINE- GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 17, 1915,

Application filed February 27, 1914. Serial N 0. 821,357.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUST ALBERT KARL HEINEMANN, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machine-Guns, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to improvements in machine guns and refers more particularly to an improved firing-pin safety device. Heretofore machine guns were not provided with such a device.

The object of my invention is to provide means for securing the firing-pin in its tensioned position and preventing it flying forward unintentionally. And with this end in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hand machine gun provided with a firing-pin safetydevice constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the lock and the firing-pin safety device, the firing-pin being tensioned and locked, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the lock and the firing-pin safety device; the tensioned firing-pin being unlocked, Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the firing-pin safety device in the position shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a front end elevation of the firing-pin safety device, Fig. 7 is a side elevation of thelatter, and Fig. 8 is a view like Fig. 7

except that the catch of the device is shown in another position, i. 6. released.

Similar letters and figures of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, mounted in the casing a of the lock slidable in the frame 0 of the gun is not only the firing-pin p, influenced by its spring 0, but also its tensioning lever g and the two-armed forked trigger lever '1', 7 whose rear arm 1', infiuenced by a spring 8, 8 passes in' front of the retracted firing-pin and holds the latter in its tensioned position, in which it compresses its spring (Fig. 1), until the front arms r of the fork of the trigger lever are lifted by the stops 25, arranged on the arms u of the trigger rod, when the latter is retracted, whereupon the downwardly rocking arm 1' releases the firing-pin p for enabling it to fly forward for discharging the gun. The rear point of support of the spring 0 or of the core 0 carrying the same is constituted by a fork 12 which is pushed into the casing of the look from below.

sioned, for example when the gun jams,

that by accidentally knocking against the trigger lever 1 r, the firing-pin p, 7) may be released and a cartridge located in front of the forwardly flying firing-pin may be fired. In order to render the occurrence of such a danger impossible, according to the invention the lock of the gun is provided with a safety device which can be actuated in the firing position from the inside and the outside, without opening the lid of the frame, in order to hold the trigger lever and the firing-pin in their tensioned positions, so that the firing-pin cannot be released by unintentionally knocking the trigger lever.

As shown in the drawings the firing-pin safety device comprises a plate 2 which has at its front end a downwardly directed bent portion 3 and approximately in the middle at the sides two likewise downwardly directed lugs 4. In theselugs is fulcrumed a two-armed lever 5 whose rear arm is formed as a grip 6, while its front arm is forked and constitutes two catches 7. A-spring 8 inserted between the plate 2 and the grip 6 tends to hold the parts 2 and 5 in their relative position shown in Fig. 7.

The plate 2 is inserted from the rear into a guide-way 9, e. g. grooves, provided in the bottom of the look a and can be shifted therein longitudinally of the look. When the plate 2 is located in its front end position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bent portion 3 takes under the arm 7* of the trigger lever, which holds the firing-pin 72,39 tensioned, and thereby prevents the lever r, r from being moved to release the firingpin. The firing-pin is then looked in its tensioned position. When the slide 2, 3 is wv-xvulcueuu fork '0 which is formed as a stop w, while.

the movement 'of the slide toward the front is limited by the base of the bent portion 3 abutting against the downwardly bent part .9 of the spring 8. The slide 2, 3 is fixed in its two end positions by the lever 5, 6, 7

whose hooks 7 take into suitable notches 10 or 11 in theicasing of the lock or in the guides of the slide 2, 3.

The safety device for the firing-pin is actuated in practice as follows: If the tensioned firing-pin is to be locked the marksman will insert a finger through an'aperture, e. g. the discharge outlet for empty cartridge cases, provided in the bottom of the frame 0, and by pressing against the grip 6 will rock the lever 5 out of its position shown in Fig. 7 into that shown in Fig. 8, whereby the catches 7 are removed from the notches 10, whereupon the locking device released in this manner is pushed out of the position shownin Figs. 3 and 5 into that shown in Figs. 2 and 4; and the grip 6 is released, whereupon the catches 7 snap into the notches 11 and hold the slide 2, 3 in its locked position. The firing-pin is unlocked, i. e. the slide is moved backward out of its position shown in Figs. 2 and 4: into that shown in Figs. 3 and 5, in the reverse manner.

I claim:

1. In a machine gun, the combination of a casing,a lock removably located therein, a firing pin, atrigger lever adapted to maintain said firing pin in its cocked position, a spring for moving said trigger lever into its operative position, a slide carried by said lock and removable therewith, and a proiection located on said slide and adapted to engagesaid trigger lever and said spring whereby an unintentional actuation of said firing pin is prevented.

2. Ina machine gun, the combination of a casing, a lock removably located therein, a firing pin, a spring for actuating said firing pin, a support for the rear end of said spring, a trigger lever adapted to maintain said firing pin in its cocked iposition, a spring for moving said lever into its operative position, a slide carried by said lock and removable therewith, said slide being movable to an operative position to lock said trigger lever and its spring against operation whereby unintentional actuation of said firing pin is prevented, a stop on said support whereby a movement of said slide in one direction is arrested and a projection on said trigger lever spring whereby a movement of said slide in the opposite direction is limited. v

3. In a machine gun, a casing, a lock removably located therein and provided-With notches, a firing pin, means carried by said lock and removable therewith, said means being adjustable to an operative position whereby unintentional actuation of said firing pin is prevented and lugs connected with said means and adapted to enter'said notches whereby said means is maintained in its operative or in an inoperative position.

4. In a machine gun, a casing, a lock removably located therein and provided with notches, a firing pin, means carried by said lock and removable therewith, said means being adjustable to an operative position whereby unintentional actuation of said firing pin is prevented, a spring pressed lever pivotally secured on said means and lugs on said lever adapted to enter said notches whereby said means is maintained in its operative or in an inoperative position.

AUGUST ALBERT KARL HEINEMANN.

Witnesses:

HENRY HAsPnR, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

